Short Sharp & Shiny

clear decisions™ regularly releases "short, sharp & shiny" a free distribution containing hints, tips and tools for project management professionals and business improvement advocates. As the name suggests these distributions are short, to the point and easy to read. The aim of these publications is to deliver the quickest win for our readers in the shortest amount of time.

Like the characters from Star Wars we spend our professional and personal lives being presented with problems that need to be solved and decisions that need to be made. Do we buy a house here? Do we go after that client? Should we fly into that asteroid field to escape that star destroyer? This can be daunting not to mention time consuming. My question today is what is the best approach to problem solving? Weâve all been in those situations or projects where things change and panic ensues: âWhat has happened?â âWhat are we going to do?â âWho needs to know?â âHow much is this going to cost?â

By now you are getting back into the swing of things after the glorious break. Your tan is fading, the turkey slumber has worn off and you are slowly getting back to work. You have great plans for this year but don't know where to start. You have done the three steps to goal setting, write them down, talk about them to others, recheck them etc.

The Easter Bunny has got it made. He works one day a year, and gets to hide chocolate eggs for billions of children and is adored by everybody. What a great job. But I would like to ask the fluffy tailed bunny - What is the best part of your profession? Did you plan to be in the business you are in? What are your yearly goals? What are your values?

As an executive assistant, and predominantly working in the administration area of a business I have encountered first-hand the importance of documenting procedures for all roles/tasks within a company. When processes are documented correctly I can always assist staff when they are busy or on leave, as well as know when I return from leave there won't be a mountain of work waiting for me.

Customer feedback forms, professional development, 360 degree reviews - these are words that can make many people sweat. For many of us knowing that we are about to receive feedback can be rather daunting. But we need to reconsider what we think of feedback, as the cliche goes - feedback is a gift.